Combination dental tray



June 5, 1928.

1,672,523 V. M. GREGG COMBINATION DENTAL TRAY Filed Feb. 14, 1927 gwumbto'c I Vernon J77. Gregg,

Patented June UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

VERNON M. GREGG, OF CEDAR FALLS,'IOWA.

COMBINATION DENTAL TRAY Application filed February 14, 1927f Serial No. 167,952.

My invention relates to improvements in combination dental trays, and the object of my improvement is to supply for a superposed pair of such trays adjustable alining connecting means resilient clamping 111g means.

This object I have accomplished byjthe and a removal adjustable fastener for such connectmeans which are-hereinafter described and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive are perspective views of the two trays and of the removable fastening means therefor as disassembled, and

elevation of said Fig. 4 is a side trays as assembled with said fastening means. Fig. 5 is a front end elevation of said Fig. 1.

It is to fications of said without thereby departing from the scope of this invention claims.

The numerals 1 devices asshown in said be'understood that various modidevices may be effected,

or the protection of its and 6 denote dental trays of a well-known. type, which may be used singly in taking impressions of the upper and lower teeth and jaw parts and other parts of the oral cavity in plastic wax,

previously placed in the trays.- After taking both sets of impressions, the trays are placed in superposition, releasably secured together after longitudinal adjustments have been effected therebetween when a bite has been taken in the shaped wax thereon by the patient.

It is important that the connecting means between the trays be such as to not only permit of longitudinal adjust ments therebetween, but that also resilient frictionally clamping means be used for the superposed contac which permit the s adjusted upon eac ting shanksof the trays hanks to be longitudinally h other, while being. held under light compression, against accidental displacements from each other until a final clamped upon the has been arrivedat, when the be further manipulated tightly yet releasably shanks to hold them and the trays rigidly until the operations thereof are completed.

The trays 1 and 6 have. like forwardly projecting shanks tened at their rea 2 and 7 respectively, fasr ends upon the abutting parts of the superposed trays. These shanks have like longltudinal upwardly ridged angular crimps 3 an d 8 respectively which fit part 13 contact with upon each other for longitudinal sliding relative adjustments thereof and said trays.

fastening means for saidshanks 2 and 7,

shown in said Fig. 3 in perspective as removed from-the shanks, and in Figs. 4 and v 5 as operatively assembled with said shanks.

The fastening device comprises a closed flatloop or ring part 11 whose top part has angular crimps 12 to fit upon the crimps 3 of the uppermost shank 2 when the loop is slidably, mounted upon the contacting assembled shanks 2 and 7. The lower part 13 of said loop is offset downwardly to s ace its middle only from the middle part 0 the under shank 7 so that the ends of this lower the under .face ofthe side parts 9 of the shank 7, whereby the loop 11 is closely yet slidably fitted upon the superposed shanks. The numeral denotes a set-screw having a knurled head, and whose threaded stem is seated in an in-. teriorly threaded boss 14 depending from the loop part 13 medially. The upper end of said stem may be brought into compressive engagement with the under medial part of the lowershank 7 to clamp the shanks 2 and 7 tightly together.

In order to elastically frictionally bind or with said screw 15, I have shaped the loop with the medial oppositely longitudinally projecting spring fingers 16 best disclosed in said Fig. 3 which fingers may be integral with the loop or otherwise rigidly mounted thereon. When the said fastening device is assembled with the superposed shanks 2 and 7 to be used for a bite, the screw 15 is turned to but lightly terminally engage the lower shank 7 permitting sliding of one shank longitudinally upon the other while the operator is engaged in arriving at a suit-. able relative longitudinal adjustment of the trays. It will be seen that the spring fingers 16 contact with the upper medial face of the upper shank 2 with a light resilient compression, which is nevertheless su'flicient to prevent slightand unnoticed displacements of one shank upon the other which would interfere with the accuracy of the adjustment. Then, after the proper adjustment of the shanks has been arrived at, it is only necessary for the operator to further turn the screw 15 to thus tightly fasten the shanks together releasabl As it is requisite that the trays be not displaced fromeach otherlaterally While such adjustments are being made, (the pair of fingers upon the npper'shank 2. It is to be further noted that as the loop fastener 11 is removable, the usual set of seven pairs of trays of an equipment, ha-ving differently sized trays, may have the same size -s hanks, so that but oneloop fastener =11 i-s-needed for the equipment, saving expense, and also allowing the instrument casing therefor to be smaller, lighter and less expensive.

Having described my invention, What I claim asnew, and desire ',to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1, In combination, dental trays having superposed contacting relatively slidable shanks :both having slidably fitting like mating longitudinal ,cnimps, a clamping loop removably slidably loosely mounted on and to :i lClOse said shanks, said loop having oppositely directed spring fingers to engage one shank, and a set-screw mounted in a part of the loop adjustably to engage the other shankoppositelyto said spring fingers to re- "leasably lock the shanks together upon final relative adju-stment thereof.

*2. Incombination, dental trays having superposed contacting longitudinally crimped and mating shanks fitted slidingly together for longitudinal relative adjustments, a flat {loop remova-bly slidingly inclosing said shank-s having like mating 'crimps fitting said other crimps, and detachable fastening means adjustably mounted on said loop to clamp the shanks together.

8. In combination, dental trays having like superposed longitudinally crimped shanks,

the crimps fitting slidably together to prevent sidewise displacements Of the shanks,

and a longitudinally crimped loop inclosing said shanks loosely having its crimps fitting the crimps uponv-one of theshanks, said loop having oppositely directed spring fingers to resilientlyengage one shank, and a set-screw mounted insaid loop oppositely to said spring fingers to adjustably clamp the shanks together.

ln testin ony whereof aflix my signature.

VERNON M. s nners. 

